Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can You Identify These Tennis Legends?

Jonnathan Chadwick

Image: US Open Tennis Championships via YouTube

About This Quiz

Tennis, like golf, comes down to Grand Slams, and the phrase "Grand Slam" has multiple meanings.

The first meaning of the phrase "Grand Slam" defines a major tennis tournament. There are four Grand Slam tournaments each year. They're commonly known as majors, and the first step to reaching legendary status is winning at least one of these Grand Slam tournaments. All legends do it.

The second step to reaching legendary status brings us to the next meaning of the phrase "Grand Slam," which is the act of winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in a career. Not all legends do it.

Players who have won the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open have achieved a Grand Slam. The third meaning of the phrase, and the third step to reaching legendary status, is winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single season. Only six legends have done it. It gets harder to do every year, and the last time it happened was 1988.

If all those Grand Slams aren't enough, if you want to enter the most legendary of legendary statuses, you need to win the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Only three legends have done it. Only one has done it in the Open Era.

Can you identify the greatest tennis players to ever step on the court?

Wiki Commons by Tatiana

Can you name this Swiss legend who has 20 Grand Slam titles?

Roger Federer

Bobby Riggs

Bill Tilden

Novak Djokovic

It's crazy to think that Roger Federer is still the best tennis player in the world after playing for more than 16 years, but he is, and he holds the record for most Grand Slam titles by a male player with 20 of them. He won eight Wimbledon championships and only one French Open.

Wiki Commons by Shinya Suzuki

This player was at the top of the tennis world in the '80s and '90s. Who is he?

Pete Sampras

Andy Murray

Andre Agassi

Rafael Nadal

Agassi was one of the best ever to play the game but was also one of the game's true international superstars. As far as technical skills go, he was one of the best at returning any serve he saw, and as far as celebrity status goes, he's one of the world's most famous tennis players.

Wiki Commons by Gage Skidmore

Who is this tennis icon who beat Bobby Riggs in the famous 'Battle of the Sexes' match?

Suzanne Lenglen

Monica Seles

Billie Jean King

Martina Hingis

Billie Jean King was 29-years-old when she beat a 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in front of 90 million viewers. Riggs had crushed female superstar Margaret Court just months prior, so King's victory against Riggs was monumental.

Wiki Commons by Craig ONeal

Do you know this champion who is often regarded as the best American tennis player?

Arthur Ashe

Andre Agassi

Pete Sampras

Andy Roddick

No American man has more Grand Slam titles than the 14 titles Pete Sampras has. He was never able to win the French Open, and the closest he got was the semi-finals in 1996. His showdowns with Andre Agassi were appointment television in the 1990s.

Wiki Commons by Tatiana

This big sister is considered one of the world's best, but not better than her younger sister. Who is she?

Venus Williams

Cori Gauff

Serena Williams

Sloane Stephens

Venus is one of the best women players the game of tennis has ever seen with seven Grand Slam titles, but she will never catch up to her younger sister, Serena, who has a whopping 23 titles and counting.

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Can you recognize this Australian legend who was the best player in the world for the better part of the 1960s?

Rod Laver

Bill Tilden

Bobby Riggs

John McEnroe

To say Rod Laver dominated the 1960s is an understatement. He won 11 Grand Slam titles during the decade, and he completed the single-season Grand Slam twice: once in 1962 and once in 1969. He is the only player, man or woman, to have accomplished the feat twice.

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Do you know this woman, who holds 22 Grand Slam titles and is married to Andre Agassi?

Pam Shriver

Chris Evert

Steffi Graf

Monica Seles

Steffi Graff is by far the most successful German tennis player, man or woman, and is one of the greatest across both sexes to ever play the game. There are only two players in the game's history to have won more Grand Slams than she.

Wiki Commons by Roland Gerrits / Anefo

Who is the Swedish player who dominated the circuit in the 1970s?

Ivan Lendl

Bjorn Borg

Stefan Edberg

Roy Emerson

Bjorn Borg never won the Australian or U.S. Open, but he won 11 Grand Slam titles: six French Open victories and five Wimbledon victories. He became the first male player of the modern era to win more than 10 Grand Slams.

Wiki Commons Public Domain

Can you name this legend, who has the fifth-most Grand Slam titles?

Chris Evert

Martina Navratilova

Steffi Graf

Maria Sharapova

American women have been much more successful than American men in the international tennis circuit, and Chris Evert is one of four American women to win 18 or more Grand Slams. She was ranked No.1 several years in a row in the late 1970s.

Wiki Commons by Edwin Martinez

Do you know this American legend known for his mid-match outbursts?

Ivan Lendl

Roy Emerson

Jimmy Connors

John McEnroe

John McEnroe holds seven Grand Slam titles, but the native New Yorker is best remembered for his mid-match outbursts and attacks against the referees. He turned pro in 1978 and his best season was 1984 when he won two Grand Slams and appeared in the French Open finals.

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Who is this American legend known for his rivalry with John McEnroe?

Andre Agassi

Jimmy Connors

Pete Sampras

Michael Chang

Jimmy Connors faced off with John McEnroe 34 times over 14 years, and it can be said McEnroe emerged the victor. McEnroe won 20 times and Connors won 14 times. Connors won three Grand Slam titles against McEnroe. McEnroe won six Grand Slam titles against Connors.

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Can you name this Hungarian legend who was stabbed by a crazed fan during a match?

Monica Seles

Martina Hingis

Billie Jean King

Venus Williams

Monica Seles is the youngest player ever to win the French Open when she won at 16 years old, and of her nine Grand Slam titles, she won eight of them before turning 20. She took two years off from tennis after the stabbing incident and was never the same when she returned.

Wiki Commons by Charlie Cowins

This player dominated the 1980s and has the third-most career wins. Who is he?

Rafael Nadal

Pete Sampras

Jimmy Connors

Ivan Lendl

From 1984 to 1990 Ivan Lendl won eight Grand Slam titles when Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker where at the top of their games. Lendl's dependence on his forehand with a lot of topspin led to the "Lendl style" of tennis that many modern players use.

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She was considered the best player in the world from 1975 to 2005. Who is she?

Martina Navratilova

Monica Seles

Maria Sharapova

Suzanne Lenglen

Martina Navratilova has 18 Grand Slam titles and has the most Wimbledon titles with nine. She is one of only three players who have won the title for women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

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Can you name this player, who was the first American to win Wimbledon?

Jim Courier

Bill Tilden

Roy Emerson

Don Budge

Bill Tilden played tennis way back in the 1920s, and in 1920 he became the first American to win the Wimbledon title. Before 1968 (the start of the Open Era) professionals couldn't play in the Grand Slams, so Tilden won Wimbledon as an amateur.

Wiki Commons by Sven Mandel

Who is this German great who won his first Grand Slam title at age 17?

Boris Becker

Bjorn Borg

Mats Wilander

John Newcombe

Becker burst onto the tennis scene and became the first unseeded player, the first German player and the youngest man to win the Wimbledon title in 1985 when he was just 17 years old. He went on to win five more Grand Slams and is Germany's best male player.

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Do you know this Belgian player who won three French Opens in a row?

Margaret Court

Maureen Connolly

Justine Henin

Suzanne Lenglen

Justine Henin has seven Grand Slam titles in total, and she won the French Open four times, three of them being consecutive. She never won Wimbledon, but she helped put Belgium on the map in the tennis world.

Wiki Commons by Rob Bogaerts / Anefo

Can you name this icon who is the only black man to ever win Wimbledon, the U.S. Open or the Australian Open?

Arthur Ashe

Fred Perry

Michael Chang

Don Budge

The only other black man to win a Grand Slam is Frenchman Yannick Noah when he won the French Open in 1983. Ashe contracted HIV after heart surgery and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993. Center court at the U.S. Open is called Arthur Ashe Stadium, which is the world's largest tennis stadium.

Wiki Commons by si.robi

At 16 years and 177 days old, she is the youngest person to ever win a Grand Slam. Who is she?

Martina Hingis

Suzanne Lenglen

Maria Bueno

Margaret Court

Martina Hingis was less than two weeks younger than Monica Seles when she won her first Grand Slam, making her the youngest player, male or female, to ever do it. She went on to win five Grand Slams in all but never won the French Open.

Wiki Commons by Carine06

Do you know this Serbian player who is one of the "Big Three" and has 15 Grand Slam titles?

Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer

Andy Murray

Today's "Big Three" tennis stars are Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Federer has 20 Slams, Nadal has 18 and Djokovic has 15, but he's also the youngest of the three and on pace to win more than them all. He is also the first and only man to win all the Masters 1000 tournaments, which weren't created until 1990. Nadal has the most Masters 1000 victories with 34.

Wiki Commons by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0

This Spaniard is a master of clay and has 18 Grand Slam titles. Who is he?

Roy Emerson

Rafael Nadal

Lew Hoad

Pat Rafter

Rafael Nadal is almost impossible to beat on clay, and he has owned Roland Garros ever since he turned pro. Of his 18 Grand Slam titles, 12 have come at the French Open, which is double the number of wins Boris Becker has at Roland Garros, and he has the second-most wins there overall.

Wiki Commons by Carine06

Who is this American great who has held the singles and doubles world No. 1 ranking?

Monica Seles

Jennifer Capriati

Pam Shriver

Lindsay Davenport

Davenport held the No. 1 ranking in the world multiple times in both women's singles and doubles. Her best stretch of tennis came from 1998 to 2000 when she won all her Grand Slam titles, but she was never able to get over the hump at Roland Garros.

Wiki Commons by Edwin Martinez

Can you name this American great who was known for his 140-mph serves?

Pete Sampras

Andy Murray

Andy Roddick

Michael Chang

The men's game hasn't had a great American player since the '90s, but Roddick came close. He made it to the Wimbledon finals four times but never won, and his only Grand Slam title came at the U.S. Open. He was most known for his rocket serves topping 140 mph.

Wiki Commons by Christian Mesiano

What's the name of this Belgian former No. 1 in both singles and doubles who has won six Grand Slams?

Kim Clijsters

Jennifer Capriati

Monica Seles

Maria Sharapova

Kim Clijsters retired in 2012, and she was the second-best tennis player to come out of Belgium behind Justine Henin. Clijsters won three U.S. Open titles and an Australian Open title, and she won the Wimbledon and French Open women's doubles titles.

Wiki Commons Public Domain

Do you know the first man to win all four majors in a single year?

Don Budge

Bobby Riggs

Arthur Ashe

Thomas Muster

Only two men have completed the single-season Grand Slam, and Don Budge was the first player, male or female, to do it way back in 1938. He's also the only American man to complete the feat, and he went on to win six consecutive Grand Slam titles during the streak.

Wiki Commons by Tatiana

Can you name this Russian great who is one of only 10 women to achieve the career Grand Slam?

Steffi Graf

Martina Navratilova

Helen Wills

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova is by far Russia's greatest tennis player. The only current female players with more Grand Slam titles than her are the Williams sisters. Her career suffered from injury, but she is still actively playing and is considered one of the game's best ever.

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Do you know this Australian lefty who won 15 major titles before the Open era?

Justine Henin

Thomas Muster

Ken Rosewall

Roy Emerson

Don Budge was said to have the best backhand shot in the game until Ken Rosewall joined the circuit. Rosewall won eight Grand Slam titles, but he never won at Wimbledon despite making the finals four times.

Wiki Commons Public Domain

Can you name this player who won eight Wimbledon titles and is considered the greatest female player in the history of the game?

Helen Wills

Kim Clijsters

Maria Bueno

Pam Shriver

Helen Wills is considered by many to be the greatest female tennis player ever. She won 31 Grand Slam titles. She was one of the first female athletes to become a worldwide celebrity, and she beat a top 10 male player in his prime in an exhibition match.

Wiki Commons Public Domain

Who is this former No. 1 who famously lost to Billie Jean King in a $100,000 winner-take-all match?

Andre Agassi

Pete Sampras

Bobby Riggs

Ivan Lendl

Bobby Riggs is most known for being a tennis hustler after he retired and planning events like the "Battle of Sexes" against Billie Jean King in which he lost. When he was in his prime, he won three Grand Slam titles and held the No. 1 ranking for three years.

Wiki Commons by Harry Pot / Anefo

In 1953 she became the first woman to achieve a single-season Grand Slam. Who is she?

Maureen Connolly

Margaret Court

Pam Shriver

Monica Seles

We don't know how good Maureen Connolly could have been. She turned pro in 1951, and by 1954 she became the first woman to complete the single-season Grand Slam and had won nine Grand Slam titles. But in 1954, a horseback riding accident ended her professional career.

Wiki Commons by Henk Lindeboom/ Anefo

Do you know this American, who was ranked No. 1 in the world for a record eight years?

Pat Rafter

Michael Chang

Andy Roddick

Pancho Gonzales

Pancho Gonzalez (aka Richard Gonzalez) is one of America's best male players, and he holds the record for most years ranked No. 1 with eight years. He won back-to-back U.S. Open titles in 1948 and '49 and won 12 Pro Slam titles.

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Can you name this French icon who won 98% of her matches and is considered the first female tennis star and the best female player ever?

Suzanne Lenglen

Helen Wills

Justin Henin

Martina Hingis

It's hard to dispute Lenglen's crown as the greatest female player in history. She was the first worldwide female tennis star. She once won 181 matches in a row, and her overall record was 341-7, which is a 98% win rate.

Wiki Commons Public Domain

She was the fist African American tennis player. Do you know her?

Chris Evert

Suzanne Lenglen

Martina Hingis

Althea Gibson

Althea Gibson was the first black tennis player, and she won the 1956 French Open and the 1957 Wimbledon title. She won five Grand Slam singles titles and another six in women's and mixed doubles events. She later became the first black person to play on the women's pro golf tour.

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Do you know this Scottish player who is one of Britain's best ever?

Pete Sampras

Boris Becker

Andy Murray

Bjorn Borg

Andy Murray was born in Glasgow and is Britain's best tennis player in at least half a century. He won three Grand Slam titles, and he almost became the fourth member of the "Big Three." He beat Djokovic to win two of his titles but has had little success against Federer or Nadal.

Wiki Commons by Bill Mitchell

Can you name this American great who turned pro at 13 years old and cracked the top 10 at age 14?

Martina Hingis

Jennifer Capriati

Monica Seles

Serena Williams

Jennifer Capriati began her pro career at a very young age, and it may have taken a toll on her. By 17 she took a break from pro tennis and was arrested for shoplifting. She eventually came back and won three Grand Slam titles, including back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2001 and 2002.

Wiki Commons by Robin Fritzson

Who is this Swedish player who won six Grand Slam titles in seven years?

Stefan Edberg

Ivan Lendl

Novak Djokovic

Boris Becker

Stefan Edberg is the only tennis player to complete the single-season Grand Slam as a junior player, and he went on to win six Grand Slam titles as a professional. The French Open was the only Slam he couldn't win, but he made it to the finals in 1989.

Wiki Commons by Eric Koch / Anefo

Can you name this legend who won more Grand Slams than any tennis player in history?

Maureen Connolly

Margaret Court

Maria Sharapova

Billie Jean King

Margaret Court won 24 Grand Slam titles, and nobody, male or female, has tied or topped that. Until Rafa Nadal won his 12th French Open in 2019, Court had the record for most wins at a single Grand Slam event with 11 Australian Open wins. She's the only woman to win the single-season Grand Slam in mixed doubles, which she did twice, and she also completed the women's singles Grand Slam and women's doubles Grand Slam.

Wiki Commons by Maarten van Maanen

At 17 years old he was the youngest man to ever win a Grand Slam. Do you know who he is?

Andy Roddick

Andre Agassi

Michael Chang

Pete Sampras

At just 5'9'', Michael Chang was one of the shorter players on the circuit, which led to his gritty defensive playing style. In 1989 his name was etched into the history books when became the youngest male ever to win a Grand Slam title.

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Do you know this Brazilian icon who is the only South American to win Wimbledon?

Korie Homan

Sharon Walraven

Suzanne Lenglen

Maria Bueno

Maria Bueno won seven Grand Slam singles titles and 12 doubles titles and is South America's best female player by far. She completed the calendar-year Grand Slam in women's doubles in 1960 and was the first woman ever to do so.

Wiki Commons By Edwin Martinez

Who is this legend who has 23 Grand Slam titles?

Monica Seles

Serena Williams

Martina Hingis

Venus Williams

It's very difficult to imagine Serena Williams going back in history and losing to any other female tennis player who has ever played. She has the second-most Grand Slam titles of all time, and she is still at the top of her game.

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